Armband “Windhuk” / Woerman-Linie / Deutsche Ost-Afrika Line (RARE!)

Description

This is an extremely rare armband from the end of the 1930’s, with several metalic miniature links forming the work “Windhuk. Of course Windhuk was the capital of the German colony South-West Africa (current day Namibia).

Although Germany lost its colonies after the Great War in 1918, a large German speaking population remained in German South-West Afrika and in the interbellum period german ships still visited the former colony. One of these shipping companies was for example the Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie, another was the Woermann-Linie, which flag is pictured on the armband!!!! Despite Germany losing its colonies in 1918 there was still a big sentiment to get them back one day in the 1930’s. Seeing the swastikaflag on the armband might just be souvenir period 1930’s link on the armband, but for sure many people at the time saw a desire in it to get the colony (and windhuk) back one day.

This armband was sold as a commemorative memento on board of the Woerman Linie ship to South Afrika, to passengers that visited Windhuk (also see the hereby added picture of an advertisement from google). The miniature flag on the armband is from the Woerman linie!!! This ceased to exist in 1942!

This is the only armband of its sort we have ever been able to find. Armbands in the same style from the better known KDF (Kraft durch Freude) ships are known, but this is the first Windhuk/Woerman Linie armband we can ever offer.